Sensata Technologies Leaps “a Thousand Years into the Future” with Docusign CLM

Sensata Technologies powers the machines we rely on every day. Its sensors tell your car how it’s performing, help planes operate safely, and regulate the temperature in your home.

But while Sensata advanced what machines could do, internal systems supporting thousands of agreements lagged behind.

“When I first joined, we were still working out of filing cabinets,” said Harry Hall, associate general counsel for the North American vehicle and aftermarket divisions. “Just tracking different versions of our agreements was painful.”

In a business where even small delays or blind spots in contracting ripple across teams and supply chains, Sensata knew the status quo wasn’t sustainable.

“We realized we had to innovate, not just with our products, but in the support functions,” said Hall. “Docusign CLM has made my life and our legal workflows a lot easier.”

From scattered inboxes to a single source of truth

Sensata’s digital transformation started with Docusign eSignature, which tackled one of Legal’s biggest bottlenecks: NDAs.

“NDAs eat up a lot of time because you’re always going back and forth over which template to use,” said Hall.

With self-service PowerForms, internal teams can generate preapproved NDAs in minutes, a quick win that keeps deals moving without Legal intervention.

“Rolling out eSignature was a big success, but we wanted to take it further,” said Hall. “We needed a central repository, automated workflows, and a better way to track negotiations.”

Docusign CLM delivered all of that, replacing inbox chaos with a centralized workstream where teams redline in parallel, approvals move faster, and Legal stays in the loop at every stage. 

“The number one thing that stalls agreements is a lack of collaboration,” said Hall. “That’s where Docusign CLM really helps.”

Clarity and control across the business

The new visibility benefits more than just the legal team. By capturing data throughout the agreement lifecycle, Sensata can see where deals stall, spot risky clauses, and stay ahead of renewals.

That insight helps the business move faster, catch potential issues early, and keep teams in sync.

“For in-house lawyers, that situational awareness—knowing exactly what’s happening with each agreement—is hugely helpful,” said Hall.

Today, CLM is central to Hall’s work. “My day-to-day is 90% contract review,” he said. “I open Docusign CLM first thing in the morning, and I pretty much live in it.”

Hall describes the shift as “taking a leap a thousand years into the future.” 

“Now, we have one workflow, one activity stream, and I can see everything that’s happened on an agreement without digging through email,” he said.

Legal as a strategic partner

Sensata’s next evolution isn’t just about speed—it’s about deeper insights. The company is piloting custom extractions in Docusign Navigator, a smart repository, to get faster answers from the agreements that power the business.

“One of the pain points with AI is that every business is so different,” he said. “Even within Sensata, we support multiple industries, applications, and products. What you’re looking for isn’t always right out of the box.”

Navigator offers a more tailored approach: Sensata can upload a few sample agreements with the specific information they wish to track—like renewal dates, rebate amounts, or other unique terms—and Iris, Docusign’s AI engine, surfaces this information across their portfolio, making it easy to find, track, or report on. 

“Being able to guide the AI on what to look for—and not having to be an IT specialist to do it—is incredible,” said Hall.

For Hall, the impact goes beyond efficiency. It marks a broader shift in how Legal adds value to the business.

“Just because you’re a support function doesn’t mean you can’t innovate,” he said. “Innovation isn’t always about creating a new product. Sometimes it’s about doing what you already do—better, faster, smarter.”